ADDED 11/23/14:
SPECIAL THANKS to Tom Arcuri, Chief Instructor of
Bailey's Karate in Herkimer, NY for organizing the 3rd Annual Mini Camp
yesterday at his dojo. Featured instructors were the very humorous and
highly skilled Charlie Moore, the very dynamic Jeff
Melander, one of the more "senior" instructors from the region
Hanshi Paul Fracchia, and Sensei Campos. Each
instructor taught two sessions and the day ended with a sparring
drills class presented by Mr. Arcuri, Mr. Melander, & Mr. Campos. This was a fun day of
sharing with a great group of instructors and students.

ADDED 11/21/14:
Thanksgiving is next week but I want to start early and THANK
the following clubs and Instructors for their effort on behalf of the Wounded
Warrior Project in 2014. BAILEY'S KARATE/SSS, HERKIMER, NY - TOM
ARCURI; CANTON, NY ZEN-DO KAI - DAVE & LISA GUCCIONE; CHERRY VALLEY, NY
ZEN-DO KAI - BRIAN COX; JOHNSTOWN, NY ZEN-DO KAI - BOB & BONNIE STREETER;
PROGRESSIVE MARTIAL ARTS, ALTOONA, PA - ROCCO ALIANIELLO; TRADITIONAL
MARTIAL ARTS, ORLANDO, FL - SUSAN JACKSON, as well as a large number of
individual donations received at the June 22 Anniversary/Birthday party. I
am very pleased to say that our total for 2014 was $15,117.75
and our total since 2007 is now $98,485.21. HAVE
A GREAT THANKSGIVING!

ADDED 10/26/14: On
the weekend of Oct 18-19, Sensei Campos,
Tom Arcuri (Bailey's Karate, Herkimer, NY), & Jeff
Melander (Red Dragon Karate, Ballston Spa, NY) were invited to attend
and instruct at the World Kobudo Federation - Capital Conquest
convention in Ottawa, Canada. This was an amazing event that featured two
days of seminars (think Super Summers only bigger), an exciting Kickboxing card
on Sat. evening, and a Forms competition on Sunday morning. It was held at
the beautiful Hilton Hotel Convention Center & Casino and
organized by Hanshi John Therien, special guest at Super Summer
Seminars 2014 camp. Every event was huge with an estimated 400 seminar
participants, several hundred Kickboxing fans, and a large turnout for the Forms
competition. There were participants from the US, Canada, S. America, &
Europe learning and exchanging ideas the entire weekend. One of the senior
WKF members, Cezar Borkowski of Toronto, reminded Sensei Campos that they had
met at a tournament in central NY about 45 years ago! A highlight of the
Sat. seminar program was seeing Jeff Melander receive
recognition for his talent and skill by being asked to do a demonstration of his
Cane Kata for all the seminar participants.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD:
A highlight of the Kickboxing program was the surprise presentation by
Hanshi Therien of a Lifetime Achievement Award
to Sensei Campos. This was a totally unexpected honor and
Sensei Campos got to share the center of the ring with several (see picture
below) world famous and highly respected martial artists.
Sensei Campos would like to thank Hanshi Therien & the WKF for this recognition.

ADDED 10/25/14:
Congratulations to Dr. Jamie Ostrov on his recent TV interview in
Buffalo, NY on parenting. He originally earned his Black Belt in Albany,
NY, then while attending Colgate Univ., he trained with Mr. Pinney
and earned a Black Belt in the ZDK. See the interview here:
http://cw23.com/2014/10/23/the-rise-of-the-child-centric-family/

ADDED 10/15/14: TX
TRIP OCT 2-5: Sensei Camposwould like to thank the
entire TX crew for throwing a special party to remind me again that I am 70!!!
They even arranged for our favorite DJ/Musician, Micky Boslet
to be there to perform and he was a hit with the TX crowd. It was also great to
see some people who have not been active for several years show up to celebrate.
Special thanks to Bob & June Gifford for their hospitality,
Bill & Michelle Hickl for hosting the celebration at their
beautiful house, Susan Jackson & Blair Allen for coming in from
FL, Russ Bartlett who came all the way from Idaho, as well as
all the instructors & students who came to party. Of course there was testing, a
seminar, and a tournament all held at Mr. Gifford's beautiful Safety America
facility. It was a perfect weekend - Thank You!!

PICTURES (L-R):
1) Some of the group at the party, 2) Mickey Boslet entertaining the
crowd, 3) Some of Mr. Gifford's Black Belts at the tournament.

ADDED 9/30/14:
Sensei Campos would like to extend his appreciation to all of the
instructors and students of the N-NY ZDK for hosting his visit
on 9/26-28. Members from Massena, Malone, Canton, & Potsdam were on hand
for the testing on Fri. and the Sat. seminars. All of the participants
were energetic and enthusiastic. As always, Mr. Brown & Mr. Perry
worked hard to make the visit productive. SPECIAL CONGRATULATIONS
to ZACH FITZGERALD on achieving his Shodan, and to
JERRY BENWARE on being awarded an honorary Shodan for his service and
commitment over many years to the Massena ZDK. These bi-annual visits have
been ongoing for about three decades and many of the original group - people who
started under Mr. Gifford & Mr. Kirch - are still actively
training & teaching. It is amazing and gratifying to be a part of the
dedication and loyalty of the N-NY group. Thank you!

ADDED 8/4/14:
Many thanks to Chris LaCava for including Sensei Campos in his YouTube series
"Two Questions." It is always great seeing Chris at SSS and having an
opportunity to share some time with him. He personifies quality martial
arts and professionalism. See the interview here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gvhbFvp_vM

ADDED 7/31/14:
Where did July go? It's funny how winter never seems to end here in the
great Northeast and summer seems to fly!
SUPER SUMMER SEMINARS: Once again, Mr. Tom Arcuri
hosted a very successful summer camp featuring Hanshi John Therrien
as the "Special Guest" Instructor. This was the 32nd annual camp
and the 7th year it has been under the direction of Mr. Arcuri. He has
been a dedicated steward of the program and has made several changes that have
enhanced the experience for all participants. An important upside was the
number of new participants and the fact that the camp grew in number. The
new schedule seemed to be popular and the feedback from the people we spoke with
was very positive. Super Summers continues to be one of the most
affordable and diverse camps in the country.

SUPER SUMMER TESTING:
Congratulations to Ms. Mercedes Kassinger on achieving Shodan
rank on Fri. morning of SSS. She is a student of Mr. Brian Cox
and trains at the Cherry Valley, NY ZDK. We would like to thank
Mr. Arcuri for the use of his Herkimer, NY studio for testing.
POLICY CHANGE: Starting with
SSS 2015 the only tests that will take place at on the weekend of SSS will be
3rd Dan (sandan) or higher. Now that other testing venues (Massena/Malone,
NY & TX) are available in addition to the annual March test in Johnstown, NY, as
well as our dojo test option, we feel this is appropriate.

On a side note, adhering to the ZDK Motto of "Work Hard, Play
Hard", special guests at the evening festivities included, Father Guido
Sarducci, the Flying Nun - Sister "Come-On I Want to Beat You", &
the reincarnation of Elvis. They were in town to heal the sick,
perform an exorcism on S.H. & make Anne Campos a saint. Holy Fabreze
it was quite a night!

On Sat. morning Sensei Campos instructed an
"old timey" class that included a number of the first group of
black belts from the Johnstown ZDK in attendance. It was a fun class and
there was lots of sweat and a few drops of blood on the dojo floor when all was
said and done. Great time!!!

ADDED 5/8/14: Mr.
Campos was at the Malone, NY ZDK on 5/2-5/4 for his bi-annual visit to
the N-NY ZDK and had a wonderful time instructing and seeing all the instructors
and students from the North Country. Many thanks to the Malone, Massena,
Canton, & Potsdam clubs for their tremendous support over many years. It
was great to reconnect with Mr. Brown, Mr. Secore, Mr. & Mrs. Guccione,
Mr. Perry, Mr. Pepe, Ms. Malik, Mr. Premo, Mr. Perez, Mr. Germano, Mr. Kenna
and all the other black and kyu rank members of those clubs. We
were especially pleased to have Mr. Bedard from Montreal,
Canada attend for training. Many thanks to the N-NY ZDK for continuing to
maintain the standards that ZDK training represents.

ADDED 4/23/14:
Congratulations to Vicki Gillen on hosting the 30th
Copper City Championships in Rome, NY on Sat. 3/29. As always
this was an efficient and friendly event that brings together many ZDK clubs and
other invited instructors and clubs from many parts of NYS. Sensei Campos
presented Mrs. Gillen with a certificate noting the anniversary and her
achievements as an instructor and member of the ZDK.

On Sat. April 5th Sensei Campos was in
Orlando on his annual visit to Ms. Susan Jackson's Traditional
Martial Arts studio. He presented two seminars before heading off for some
R&R in Daytona Beach. It is always an honor to have the opportunity to
meet and spend some time with the students at TMAC and we are always grateful
for the hospitality we receive.

ADDED 3/25/14:
Congratulations to Sensei Bob Pinney
on the 18th Colgate University Karate Tournament held this past
Sunday. This is a small, friendly event that draws a number of ZDK clubs
as well as other local clubs from the upstate NY area. ZDK Course
Instructors in attendance included: Mr. Campos, Mr. Cox
(Cherry Valley), Mr. Streeter (Johnstown), Mr. Arcuri (Herkimer), Mr. Brooks (W.
Winfield), Mr. Waterman (Oneida), Mr. Daniele (Syracuse), Mr. Tomlinson, Mr.
Greco, & Mr. Lavigne (Saratoga). Everyone worked hard and we were
able to end the day around 2 pm. As always, we would like to thank Mr. &
Mrs. Pinney for their hospitality.

WWP DONATION:
Many thanks to Mr. Brian Cox and the students of the
Cherry Valley, NY ZDK for hosting a "Night of a 1000 Kicks"
fundraiser for the WWP. His effort raised $1,850.75. OUR
TOTAL SINCE 2007 IS NOW: $85,918.21. Remember, our goal is
$100,000 and we are well within reach of that. Our 2014 effort ends on
Veteran's Day and we hope to see every instructor host an event or make a
donation.

ADDED 3/3/14:
NEWS FLASH JUST IN -
CONGRATULATIONS TO DAVE GUCCIONE:
The SUNY Canton 2014 Honors Convocation will be named for David Guccione.
Recommended unanimously by the Recognition and Awards Committee, David Guccione
has been a practitioner and trainer in law enforcement for over 40 years. He was
a police officer and field training officer with the St. Louis County Police
Department in St. Louis, MO and is a retired Chief Warrant Officer in the U.S.
Army, as well as a veteran of the Vietnam war. He began working for SUNY
Canton in 1979. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 1984 and full
Professor in 1988. For many years, his name was synonymous with the criminal
justice program. He is widely known and respected for his expertise. In 1998 he
received the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. In the 1983
Mr. Guccione assisted Mr. Kirch in establishing the ZDK club at SUNY Canton that is still active today. In
addition to continuing to practice and teach martial arts, he routinely teaches
seminars on self-defense, weapons defense, and legalities in self-defense at a
large martial arts summer camp. In 1996, David and his colleague Ted
Marlowe started the David Sullivan St. Lawrence County Law Enforcement Academy
which trains people entering law enforcement careers. In that same year David
received the President’s Meritorious Service Award. David and Ted also created
the college’s first 4 year degree in criminal justice, Criminal Investigations.
It was a departure from other programs in its emphasis on pragmatic knowledge
and skills needed by people in law enforcement. David retired and was
granted Professor Emeritus status in 2002. Since then he has continued to teach
for the police academy. He volunteers regularly at the United Helpers Nursing
home in addition to raising money for the Wounded Warriors Project. David has
authored academic work in the Criminal Justice field and magazine articles on
scuba diving. He currently enjoys writing about martial arts. David
lives with his wife, Lisa. He has three (3) children, Lisa, Mara, and David, and
several grandchildren. WE ARE PROUD TO HAVE MR. GUCCIONE AS A ZDK MEMBER!

ADDED 2/25/14:
WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT EVENT 2/22/44: CONGRATULATIONS to
Dave Guccione on another successful Super Winter Seminar in Canton, NY. He had about 40 participants
and for the first time had instructors from two other styles in attendance:
Mr. Bob Gray, who conducted a Hapkido joint lock flow drill,
and Tom Sokol, who taught Tai Chi Chuan for Hard Style MA. Good
classes from all instructors, Jovan Germano, Lisa Guccione, Josh Premo,
Andre Secore and Mr. Guccione. The event raised $450 for
WWP, $100 of that from Bob Gray, team winnings from a bowling tournament
he hosted. This is our second WWP donation for 2014 and our total
for 2014 is now: $700. Thank you to all the
N-NY people for their effort.

ADDED 2/4/14:
CONGRATULATIONS to Larry & Laura Brooks on a
successful 21st year of organizing the Friendship Tournament in
W. Winfield, NY. As always the event was held on Super Bowl Sunday but
everyone was on their way home for the big game by 3:30 pm. The day ran very smoothly thanks
to all the black belts who came to assist and compete. As always, the
coordinators,
Vicki Gillen, Tom Arcuri, & Larry Brooks, IV,
kept things running smoothly and efficiently. We saw many old friends, as
well as, a new attendee in the form of Soke Rudy Duncan from
Syracuse. It is
evident that there is a new generation rising among some of the younger black
belts in attendance, including Hunter Cox, who certainly
demonstrated excellent sparring and kata skills at this event. It was nice to hear
so many positive comments about the day from everyone in attendance.
We suppose that after two-plus decades of running the event, along with the steady
support of many senior ZDK members, a well run friendly event would be the
result. Continued success to the Brooks'.

ADDED 1/24/14:ZDK 2013 TOP SCHOOL AWARDS: Congratulations to the following Instructors &
Clubs on achieving Top Schools status in the ZDK. The Top
Schools program is a way of recognizing the members/clubs who have supported our
programs over the past year. The following member clubs will receive a
certificate recognizing their support. Instructors
interested in the Top Schools program can find information on participation in
the Instructor Handbook. Thank you for your continued support.